“Change is the law of life”2 min read

For a US President who served less than 3 years in office, John F Kennedy is well quoted. He uttered the words “Change is the law of life” in an address in Frankfurt six months before his assassination.

The quote continues:

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

Many people ‘hate’ change, resisting it and resenting it. However, it is an irresistible force in the universe and instead of fighting it we should embrace it. It’s good to note that JFK’s did not suggest that we shouldn’t look backwards and reflect on the past. He says that to ONLY do so will mean you miss the best of what’s to come.

Just before these words, Kennedy said:

our liberty, too, is endangered if we pause for the passing moment, if we rest on our achievements, if we resist the pace of progress. For time and the world do not stand still.

Applying the ‘law of life’ to organisations

Consider those words in the context of running or working in an organisation or business. If a company relies on it’s past achievements, no matter how good they were, it will get left behind. Think about Nokia before the iPhone or Sony Walkman before the iPod. So it is essential to keep an eye on what is changing and grab the opportunities.

It’s not just the marketplace that a organisation needs to monitor. There is a huge number of changes happening to the regulations and standards that apply to businesses. Looking back longingly at a less regulated, easy-going times is pointless. Ignoring them could ‘endanger your liberty”. These changes to the business environment need to be embraced as it reflects the changing marketplace.

To be honest, regulation and legislation rarely comes before it is needed. It usually comes to plug a hole of which some have unscrupulously sought to take advantage. So an eye on your ethical stance on opportunities also needs attention. If an organisation can avoid relying on ‘loopholes’ it is less likely to suffer at the hand of legislator in the future and the workload that brings.